Cover Picture Information

Reprinted from "INSULATORS - Crown Jewels of the Wire", June 1983, page 3

This is a copy of a drawing by Walton Taber in American Heritage Century Collection of Civil War Art. A friend of my father is a Civil War enthusiast, and he gave me this copy, because he knew I collect insulators. Below also is the text that went with the drawing.
Jim Brogle, NIA #2706 

The telegraph brought about a revolution in military communications, not only between Richmond or Washington and armies in the field, but within the armies themselves. Grant wrote that when his army went into camp or field position during the Petersburg campaign, in each brigade "a mule loaded with a coil of wire would be led to the rear" to link up with higher command. "Thus, in a few minutes longer time than it took a mule to walk the length of its coil, telegraphic communication would be effected between all the headquarters of the army." These drawings were done to illustrate an 1889 Century article on the military telegraph.